Breakthrough Institute

The Breakthrough Institute, which describes itself as a "a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors", is a think tank established by Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus. On its website it states that it is "committed to creating a new progressive politics, one that is large, aspirational, and asset-based. We believe that any effective politics must speak to core needs and values, not issues and interests, and we thus situate ourselves at the intersection of politics, policy, philosophy, and the social sciences."

The Breakthrough Institute "believes that we can create a better world by advancing an aspirational vision grounded in America's founding values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." 

But in practice, this has translated to advocating "green energy" research but opposing any policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through putting a price on carbon (a.k.a. pricing the externality).

Criticisms
"The Breakthrough people and their allies, among whom one must include Lomborg and  Pielke Jr. at this point..., are not asking for the technologically impossible. They are asking merely for the technologically possible at an economically impossible cheap price." "This disinformation campaign is almost entirely driven by fossil fuel companies and conservative media, politicians and think tanks. It is also advanced by the Breakthrough Institute and its president, Michael Shellenberger. His central myth -- a science fiction fantasy, really -- is that it would be possible to sharply reduce emissions without raising the cost of carbon pollution."

Staff

 * Michael Shellenberger is co-director of the Breakthrough Institute
 * Ted Nordhaus
 * Erin Malec is a Strategist for the Breakthrough Institute

Senior Fellows
As of March 2011:

2011

 * Fred Block
 * Chris Foreman
 * Peter Kareiva
 * Steve Rayner
 * Harry Saunders

2010

 * Ulrich Beck
 * Chris Green
 * Bruno Latour
 * Gregory Nemet
 * Daniel Sarewitz, CSPO-ASU, CIRES-CSTPP-UColoBoulder
 * Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar at Google

2009

 * David Douglas
 * Frank Laird, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver; CIRES-CSTPP-UColoBoulder, former CSPO-ASU
 * Siddhartha Shome

2008

 * Bill Chaloupka, Colorado State
 * Dalton Conley
 * Barbara Hill
 * Marty Hoffert
 * Frank Laird, see above
 * Roger Pielke Jr., CIRES-UColoBoulder
 * Cara Pike
 * Jim Proctor

Advisory Board
As of March 2011:
 * Jane Bennett
 * Christopher Foreman
 * Natalie Jeremijenko
 * Felix Kramer
 * Celinda Lake
 * Neesha Mirchandani
 * Lawrence Wallack
 * Adam Werbach, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi S

Previously
Source
 * James Bernard
 * Ginna Green
 * Tommy McDonald
 * Chuck Sabel
 * Robin Templeton
 * Elizabeth Wilcox

Funding
"Virtually all of our funding comes from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, trustees of the ...Sara Lee pound cake fortune, and the Lotus Foundation, funded by members of the Pritzker family."

Contact Details
The Breakthrough Institute, 436 14th Street, Suite 820 Oakland, California 94612

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 * think tanks